Raider Nation Newsletter

Week of February 27, 2023

Gearing Up...

Dear Atholton families,

I truly love this time of year. Nothing is more exciting than the arrival of warm weather (near 80 degrees last Thursday), spring sports, and the end of our winter sports season as playoffs, regionals, and states begin. Friday night, the boy's basketball team easily defeated Oakland Mills to continue their run in the playoffs. I am looking forward to the girl's game tomorrow! Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending the wrestling regionals at South River High School. We finished the regional tournament with six wrestlers continuing on the states this weekend at the Showplace Arena in Upper Marlboro. Jonathan Maslan finished 4th, and Omar Palmer finished 1st at the 3a/4a East Regional tournament. On the girls' side, we had all 4 girls qualify for the state tournament. First-year wrestler Mollie McCormick placed 2nd. Samantha Semprun Salazar, who is also a first-year wrestler, placed first. Juliana Oxenberg and Liliana Giraud captured their second regional title. Congratulations to our wrestlers and Coach Billups, and Coach Cummings. We wish them all the best at the state tournament!

As I mentioned, this Wednesday is the start of the spring sports season! Please see the information below regarding tryout schedules. All forms should have been submitted. You must be cleared (all forms accepted and approved) to participate in tryouts. Mr. Senisi and/or coaches will inform athletes.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the AHS Black Student Union for its Black History Month assembly. As I mentioned in an announcement to the school, it takes a lot of courage to get in front of one's peers and perform. Our BSU students did an amazing job – not once but THREE times, twice for the school and an evening performance. We thank our Parents of Black Students Association (PBSA), who always supports our school initiatives.

More news to celebrate regarding our outstanding students. First, as you may recall, sophomore James Obasiolu was selected as a semifinalist in the WJZ Black History Oratory Competition. The results were announced last evening, and James placed THIRD! Congratulations to James on this honor. More info may be found here. Additionally, I am excited to share that two Atholton students, sophomore James Obasiolu and freshman Samuel Lee have been selected to participate in the National Youth Orchestra of the United States (NYO2) out of Carnegie Hall in New York City. To be chosen for this national orchestra is a remarkable accomplishment and a tribute to their hard work, talent, and passion for music. It undoubtedly also reflects the support of their family, friends, and teachers, with whom they share this achievement. There will be a concert at Carnegie Hall on July 15, and following the Carnegie Hall concert, NYO2 will travel to Santo Domingo for five days and play both at the National Theater there and the Gran Teatro del Cibao in the nearby city of Santiago. Congratulations to James and Sam on this most prestigious achievement.

Lastly, I have the unfortunate task of informing you of the departure of two Atholton icons – band director, Mr. Eric Posner, and special educator Ms. Betsy Dooley. Mr. Posner has accepted the band director position at the new high school, Guilford Park. Additionally, he will serve as the team leader for the related arts department. This is an amazing opportunity for Mr. Posner, and we are sad to see him go, but we support his decision and are excited about his opportunities and growth. What a fantastic opportunity to open a new high school and create a new culture. We wish him all the best and thank him for his years of service to the Atholton community. Mr. Posner will finish the year at Atholton and transition to his new position next year. Ms. Dooley has decided to retire from the Howard County Public School System and will be sorely missed. She has advocated on behalf of our students for over twenty years. She is a living example of the phrase, “leave every place better than you found it.” Ms. Dooley will finish her time at Atholton this week. Please feel free to reach out to both Mr. Posner and Ms. Dooley to congratulate them.

Have a fantastic week!

Warmest regards,

Robert A. Motley

Principal

Class of 2023 Information

Cap and Gowns must be ordered by March 1 at this website. The cost is $45 and will increase to $50 after March 1. Orders after March 1 cannot be guaranteed delivered by graduation as the gown is custom and takes 8 weeks to make. If you do not want a package, scroll down to Cap and Gown, and you can order just the unit. The tassel will be included. Regalia will be delivered to the school about 2 weeks prior to graduation, and other memorabilia will be delivered directly home. If you have any questions, please email dan.Pasquarelli@Jostens.com directly.

Spring Sports Information

Spring tryouts will begin on Wednesday, March 1st. Click here for tryout schedule

To submit your athletic forms, HCPSS has developed a portal through HCPSS Connect to submit all of your tryout forms. Parents/guardians must use their parent portal to submit paperwork. Click here for step-by-step directions on how to submit forms online. Please contact Mr. Senisi at Michael_Senisi@hcpss.org if you have any questions.

AHS RAIDER ROAST INFO

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MVA Permit Testing

The next MVA Driver’s Permit Test will be on Monday, April 17th, at 2:15 p.m. in the Media Center. Students must be 15 years old and 9 months by April 17th to complete the driver’s permit test. Students must return a signed parent permission form to the front office or Mrs. Bopst by Tuesday, April 11th. Late forms will not be accepted. Forms can be found on Mrs. Bopst's classroom door (room F182). Students are registered for the MVA Permit Test on a first-come, first-serve basis when the signed permission slip is returned. Spots are limited. If you need accommodations for the test, please visit your local MVA branch for support. Students can get driver's manuals from Mrs. Bopst to help prepare for the test.

*Disclaimer - when you pass the MVA Permit Test at school, YOU MUST make an appointment with the MVA branch to obtain the actual permit and pay the fee. When you pass, the paper given to you is only a piece of paper and DOES NOT SERVE as your learner’s permit.

Becca's Closet

Our annual dress giveaway will be held on March 11 from 9 am -2 pm in the cafeteria. There are over 1,000 gowns that are gently used or new with tags. In addition to free prom dresses, basic alterations will be provided.